Another one bites the dust...

nesjess

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Donor 2011
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One of the last remaining non-Gamestop used games stores in my area.

http://www.thegamealley.com/

To Our Valued Customers,

After facing a challenging business climate the past couple of years, we regret to inform you that The Game Alley plans to close its doors by the end of February. We will operate until we sell our remaining inventory.

Please take the time to read the below information regarding how we will be handling The Game Alley's closure.

Thank you for letting us be a part of Castro Valley's community and supporting our business!

-Alex & Jim
 
That sucks. There were two different game stores in my small town. Both now gone. Came and went in less than a year for both.

We do now have a Gamestop.....hmmmmm.
 
Yeah, eBay and Gamestop kills any hope for these types of stores. As much as I like to support small business, I rarely shopped there because of marked up prices and lack of inventory. It's so much easier to buy/sell stuff on eBay even with fees.

I rarely shop at Gamestop as well. Even they are suffering and slowly changing their business model. You've probably noticed them emphasizing used/new electronics like iphones, tablets, etc. They've closed a number of stores around here in the past couple of years.

Now if Gamestop decides to empty out all those warehouses full of old school games they have stored away and put them back in the stores, that would be interesting. Though, they'd probably mark up to about eBay cost or more.
 
A store or two near me closed but I still have one fairly close to me but I have to drive like 30minutes to get there
 
Game stores will be extinct very soon like the video rental stores when all the next Gen consoles become digital download only =-(
 
Game stores will be extinct very soon like the video rental stores when all the next Gen consoles become digital download only =-(

SO true. At least corporate ones. Small mom and pop ones can make it with retro gaming, but it wouldn't be enough $$$ to please corporate companies. Saving $5.00 on a $60 game by buying used or $2.00 on a $20 game just isn't enough incentive. I haven't bought anything at Gamestop in years now and I used to buy there all the time. I've pre-ordered Dead Space 3, Bioshock Infinite and Dead Island Riptide through Best Buy with the gamer rewards and get a $20 GC with each one. That's hard to beat.
 
It does suck, but like you said... lack of inventory and marked up prices.

Most retail stores I have seen have prices at or above eBay and people would rather go where it's cheaper.

People on Craigslist are asking the same prices, yet they probably have no overhead at all so it's 90%+ profit for them.
 
SO true. At least corporate ones. Small mom and pop ones can make it with retro gaming, but it wouldn't be enough $$$ to please corporate companies.

eBay and smartphones have brought about an awareness of the 2nd hand market price of retro games stuff. People are less and less willing to trade in their in-demand retro gear at low enough prices for any stores to make margin. Checking the price of something is a few taps on a smartphone. People would rather turn down the low offers for their goods, cut out the resellers entirely and are willing to go to the effort to sell direct on eBay, Craigslist, Gumtree etc.

The small independent game shops are less likely to survive, because they don't have the network or buying ability to acquire and stockpile a supply of retro stock, and lack the revenue base to survive bumps in the market, so they are the first ones to go.

- James
 
SO true. At least corporate ones. Small mom and pop ones can make it with retro gaming, but it wouldn't be enough $$$ to please corporate companies. Saving $5.00 on a $60 game by buying used or $2.00 on a $20 game just isn't enough incentive. I haven't bought anything at Gamestop in years now and I used to buy there all the time. I've pre-ordered Dead Space 3, Bioshock Infinite and Dead Island Riptide through Best Buy with the gamer rewards and get a $20 GC with each one. That's hard to beat.

I never buy used right when the game comes out. I usually do it like 2+ years later when the game is now out of print and almost impossible to find new.
 
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